Auxiliary car-steps.



C. CHRISTOPHERSON.

AUXILIARY CAR STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED 'JULY 13. 191?.

1 ,26 1,489, Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. CHRISTOPHERSON.

AUXILIARY CAR STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1917.

1 26L489. Pmwwdm 2Jma 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG,

CASPER OHRISTOP-HERSON, OF MUKILTEO, WASHINGTON.'

AUXILIARY CAfEt-S'JIEPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918;

Applicationfiled July 13, 1917. Serial No. 180,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, Cxsrnn CHRISTUPHER- son, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Mukilteo, in the county of Snohomish andStateof\Vashington, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements inAuxiliary Car-Steps; and I Clo-hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The object of this invention is'to associate, in a novelmanner, with thefixed steps .of a car, foldable auxiliary steps that can be moved in anexpeditious and convenient manner to operative or inoperative position,the said auxiliary steps being adapted when in operative position toextend beyond the lower end of the fixed steps of the car and of suchconstruction as to be capable of supporting considerable weight.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodimentof my invention of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fixed steps of a car with theauxiliary steps associated therewith, showing the latter in operativeposition.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the fixed carsteps and auxiliary steps with the latter in folded position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the fixed car steps showingthe guides in position.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4:,

Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the fixed steps of the car areshown as including a pair of side members 1 that are con nected by thetreads 2 and risers 3, the risers being disposed inwardly of the outerlongitudinal edges of the treads 2 to provide overhanging ledges, asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Movably associated with the fixed car steps,- at the lower end thereof,are the auxiliary steps, designated as an entirety by the numeral 4, andwhich comprises a pair of metaflic supporting rails 5-5, each of whichis bent to provide a plurality of pairs of opposed spaced horizontalportions 6, the pairs of opposed horizontal portions being disposed inoffset relation one above the other. The uppermost pair of horizontalportions 6 overlie and rest upon the lowermost tread of the fixed stepwhen the auxiliary steps are in operative position, and the other pairsof opposed horizontal portions form supports for treads 7 that lie inoffset planes below the lowermost tread of the fixed steps, when theauxiliary steps are in operative position. The rails 5 have their upperends bent upwardly from the uppermost pair of opposed horizontalportions 6 and 'then deflected laterally in opposite directions, asshown at 8.

Mounted on the inner side of the side members 1 of the fixed steps, andat opposite points, are guides 9, each of which is formed of a pair ofspaced sections, the opposed faces of which are grooved, as shown at 12in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Projecting laterally from the outer sideedges of the deflected upper ends 8 of the side rails are fingers 11,which have their outer ends bent at right angles, as shown at 12, andextended between the sections forming the respective guides 9, and thefree terminals of the angular portions 12 have secured thereto sphericalshaped heads 13, which are slidably received by the grooves in theopposed faces of the sections formin the respective guides 9. lVhen theauxiliary steps are in operative position, the fingers 11 are located atthe inner ends of the guides 9, and the free terminals of the deflectedends 8 of the supporting rails 5 are engaged beneath the outerlongitudinal edge of the adjacent uppermost tread 2 of the fixed steps.WVhen it is desired to move the auxiliary steps to inoperative position,the steps are slid outwardly so as to withdraw the deflected ends 8 ofthe supporting rails 5 from beneath the adjacent uppermost tread 2, andthe outward movement of the steps are continued until the fingers 11 arelocated at the outer ends of the guides 9. The outer ends of theauxiliary steps are then raised vertically, the spherical heads servingas fulerums for the auxiliary steps, and the steps are then moved to theposition shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to in the form,constructlon and arrangement of the several parts Without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with the fixed car steps having stationary guidesmounted thereon and positioned above the lowermost tread of the steps ofauxiliary steps including a pair of supporting rails and treads mountedthereon, spherical heads formed on said rails and mounted in saidguide-ways for rotary and sliding movement, as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination with the fixed oar steps, of auxiliary car stepsincluding rigid supporting rails bent to provide a series of treadsupporting portions, spherical heads formed on the upper terminals ofthe rails, rigid guide ways mounted on the fixed car steps above thefirst treads, said spherical heads being positioned in the guide waysand sliding and rotary movement, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with the fixed car steps of auxiliary steps slidablyand rotatably associated with said steps and including a pair ofsupporting rails bent to provide pairs of opposed horizontal portionsarranged in offset relation one above the other, the uppermost pair ofhorizontal portions being adapted to rest on the lowermost tread of thefixed car steps when the auxiliary steps are in operative position,treads supported by the other pairs of horizontal portions, andvertically disposed elements extending above the uppermost pair ofhorizontal portions and adapted to terminally engage under the adjacentuppermost tread when the auxiliary steps are in operative position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CASPER CHRISTOPHERSON.

Witnesses SAMUEL K. SoRENsoN, J OHN H. YEAKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissxoner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

